1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to toilet seats and more particularly pertains to a device which may be utilized to raise and lower a toilet seat without actually touching the seat with the hands.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of toilet seat lifters is known in the prior art. More specifically, such devices heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of lifting toilet seats are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements. One failure on the part of such devices is the protrusion of the lifting handle when not in use causing possible safety problems and being unsightly. Typical of the devices known in the art are U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,805,246; 4,875,251; and 5,058,215 all of which show protruding handles for toilet seats adhesively or otherwise attached to the underside of such seats. A variation utilizing a pair of pivoted levers (also protruding at all times) is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,324.
In this respect, the device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of lifting a toilet seat without being a safety hazard or disfiguring the toilet fixture.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for new and improved toilet seat lifters. In this regard, the present invention substantially fulfills this need.